I had originally started this blog as a means of accountability for my big weight loss journey. My big goal was to lose 130 pounds. Given my past diet fails, this new blog seemed like a great way to make sure I didn't give up. And you know what.... it actually worked! There were so many times that I wanted to give up but I knew that there were family, friends, and complete strangers who were checking in on my progress. So I kept going. I wasn't perfect, but I never got too far off course. And eventually I became a success. My "success" story was everywhere: social media, several high-profile blogs, and even in the local Atlanta newspaper. People I would run into at work or church would come to me for advice. Even though I technically never reached my goal, I was close enough to be considered a total success.

So, what happens when you've struggled with weight issues for your entire life and you finally reach your goal? I didn't really know. I kind of thought I could relax, take a mental break from all of the "diet stuff" and just be careful not to get out of hand. In hindsight, I couldn't have been more wrong. This is actually the most important part of the journey. Anyone who really struggles to attain a healthy weight will also struggle to maintain a healthy weight.

I'm not going to drag it out anymore...

The reason I stopped blogging is that I gained most of the weight back.

I started this journey at 350 lbs. At my lowest, I was 235. (115 pounds lost)

Today, I weighed in at 320. I gained back 85 pounds.

Don't worry...I'm not in a bad place right now. I'm not depressed or giving up. In fact, I feel really good about what I am doing at the moment. (More on that in a future post) I guess I just needed to confirm what many of you already knew. And the reason I was ready to talk about it today is that I'm ready to start again.